App comparisonsComparison
How to keep all your Mac apps updated: App Store, Homebrew and updater apps compared
Short answer
Turn on automatic updates in the App Store for App Store apps. For everything else, the free app Latest lists which apps have updates waiting, and if you installed apps with Homebrew, brew upgrade updates them all at once. Most apps from developers' websites also update themselves: check each app's menu for Check for Updates.
On this page
App Store apps
- Open the App Store and choose App Store › Settings.
- Turn on Automatic Updates.
Apps from developers' websites
Most of these have Check for Updates in the app menu (the menu named after the app). Many check automatically once a day. If an app never updates, it may no longer be maintained: see which apps still need Rosetta.
Apps installed with Homebrew
See what's out of date, including apps that update themselves:
brew outdated --greedyUpdate everything:
brew upgrade --greedyHow to choose
- See everything at a glance, free: Latest.
- You're comfortable in Terminal: Homebrew.
- Homebrew without Terminal: Applite (free) or Cork (paid).
Updater apps compared
All of these can check many apps at once. None of them replaces macOS Software Update for the system itself.
| App | What it does | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | Shows which of your apps have updates, for App Store and many direct-download apps | Free, open source |
| Homebrew | Install and update apps from Terminal with brew upgrade | Free, open source |
| Cork | A Mac app for managing Homebrew without Terminal | Paid |
| Applite | Simple Homebrew app store for installing and updating apps | Free, open source |
| MacUpdater | Scans and updates thousands of apps; check its site for its current status | Free scan, paid updates |
Sources and further reading
- Keep apps up to date on Mac · Apple Support
- Homebrew documentation · Homebrew